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It’s become one of the juiciest, out-of-control, self-propelled, all-time gossip stories for news media around the world -- with all the right ingredients! It has the political scandal of a married Governor wanting a divorce, the disheartened wife being evicted from their official mansion and the extraordinary skirt-chasing story of truly bizarre behavior. And best of all its right in our own backyard, here in Nevada!

Just over six weeks ago I wrote a “wicked whispers and racy rumors” item about Gov. Jim Gibbons’ ever-escalating TXT and IM messaging on his cell phone to a woman in Reno. I learned that first lady Dawn Gibbons’ attorney had even filed that complaint in his court papers, which a judge promptly sealed away from over-eager eyes! Nobody could believe it -- but then two weeks ago my gossip had turned to hard news when it was revealed for the official record that he’d racked up over 800 TXT and IM units –- in one day alone 160 of them to the same woman!

Now, just when you think it couldn’t get any crazier or strange, comes more incredible gossip -- and once again I am assured it will be borne true! Allegedly Gov. Gibbons saw the other women for dinner dates both in Reno and here in Las Vegas! It’s a hard fact that just days before his election vote he was embroiled in a sexy controversy with one woman who accused him of ‘two drinks too many” at a dinner where they’d been seated together -- and then he followed her to a nearby parking garage for an unwanted goodnight kiss. The “grope and peck” made national headlines, but proved tame with what was to follow for the so-called “serial dater.”

Soon, I am reliably told, we will hear the wild accusations that the governor even donned disguises for his “fool the press” excursions. Allegedly, he had both a wacky hat and a moustache to wear on his assignations! That’s enough to make your mouth drop wide open in disbelief! Believe it or not, though, it gets even more incredulous.

Rather than report it … let me just repeat it as a question: What’s the story with the long-ago former Playboy playmate model friend who loves to play at a Reno golf club -- and I don’t necessarily mean the 18 holes. Allegedly, she changes in the ladies locker room and unashamed of her beautiful body has no qualms in leaving the door wide open for the men in the opposite sex locker room to get a free peak. Her burlesque skills move into high gear when the governor is on his game there!

Remember, you all scoffed at the previous “wicked whispers” - that all proved true weeks later -- and I’m promised it’ll be exactly the same with these new racy revelations. As they say today’s gossip is tomorrow’s news!

HAS MARIO LOPEZ BEEN TWO-TIMING HIS DANCING PARTNER KARINA SMIRNOFF? THEIR ROMANCE HAS CRASHED ON THE ROCKS!

Just days after Dancing with the Stars sweethearts Mario Lopez and Karina Smirnoff confirmed their romance was “on the rocks,” she fled Hollywood to party here on the Strip. He’d been caught two-timing her with a Hooters bartender, 22-year-old Meaghan Cooper from San Antonio. They’d originally met when she was just 18 -- but he’d kept in touch by phone until they began seeing each other recently.

Karina turned up on the red carpet at Asian-themed Tao bistro at The Venetian on a girls' night out. They started with a dinner of Chilean sea bass, Kobe beef and crispy lobster and shrimp dumplings. Then Karina led the gorgeous group upstairs to the Tao nightclub. She took a VIP table on the dance floor -– and smiled happily taking photos with fans. “She was really celebrating her new single status,” a spywitness told me. “Her eyes kept open for any good looking men inside the club!” Karina wore a black ABS by Allen Schwartz one-shoulder tiered dress and stayed partying through the early hours dancing to the sounds of DJ Reach and sipping Grey Goose cocktails.

Karina remained silent about the split but confirmed it’s “officially over.” It’s believed that her boyfriend Mario had been secretly seeing the Miss September 2007 Hooters calendar girl for as long as the past 11 months.

Photographs have surfaced showing them together on a trip to New Orleans. “I would never have gone there with him if he hadn’t said the relationship with Karina was over,” she explained. “He said they’d broken up but kept things cordial between them, because of the dancing show.”

Mario and Karina were last seen together three times at the end of last month in Los Angeles -- but it all blew up earlier this month when his friendship with Meaghan was brought to light. “I don’t think Mario is one to settle down -- with me or anybody else. So I’m not getting serious with him because he can’t be really faithful,” summed up Meaghan. She is planning an acting and singing career and has just filmed a new ABC reality show on location in Tokyo, I Survived a Japanese Game Show. It premieres next Tuesday when we’ll get the first full look at Meaghan.

Karina’s spokesperson commented: “This is obviously a difficult time for her but she’s focusing on some very exciting opportunities in her professional life and dealing with the situation as best she can.” Meantime, Mario will be kept busy for the summer starring in A Chorus Line on Broadway in New York through Sept. 7.

CINEVEGAS UPDATE: Day 7

Our highlight picks at the Brenden Theaters in the Palms for today: Check out the re-run 1 p.m. screening of the Hank Greenspun story Where I Stand and the 1:30pm screening of GoGo Tales with Willem Dafoe, Bob Hoskins and Matthew Modine, about a strip-joint owners foolproof way to win the lottery and the night he hits the jackpot. But its the unique partnership between the Beatles and Cirque du Soleil’s creative team examined in a no-holds barred candid behind the scenes documentary All Together Now at 7 p.m. that gets the really high marks.

“CineVegas always strives to show films that take risks because that is what Vegas is all about,” said the film festival’s artistic director Trevor Groth. “This documentary film clearly demonstrates this risk-taking spirit telling the story of two entertainment icons coming together to create one of the most beloved shows in Vegas which is still wowing audiences.”

Its the faithful telling of the friendship between George Harrison – before his death from cancer – and Cirque founder Guy Laliberte blossomed and gave birth to the production. He says that the creative differences were a necessary part of the overall process to its vibrant life -- and the disagreements, tensions and disputes were not disguised so the non-plain sailing is there for everybody to witness. Filmmaker Adrian Wills recorded the entire start-to-finish history of the Love project from birth of an idea to opening night.

Guy and Grammy-winning sound engineers Sir George and Giles Martin plus some of the Love cast are hoping to attend. Afterwards at 9pm until midnight the moviemakers celebrate with a party appropriately at the Beatles Revolution Lounge in the Mirage. (If you miss it please note there’s another screening at 2 p.m. on Friday.)

STRIP SCRIBBLES:

-- Although Carey Hart’s new Wasted Spaces rock lounge club at the Hard Rock will open July 1 for the July 4 holiday weekend the local official opening will be July 16, then followed with a grand Hollywood-styled celebrity invasion for the July 19 blast.

-- There’s less and less Egyptian influence at the Luxor pyramid. You’ve only got a few days left to visit -- until Sunday night, when the Tomb and Museum of King Tutankhamen shuts for good. The Secrets of the Luxor Pyramid in the IMAX theater there has already folded after its 15-year run. In its place this summer the Bodies exhibit moves over from the Tropicana in a more ambitious and interactive exhibit and this fall a whole new version of the Titania’s Artifacts exhibition, which will also allow visitors amazing interactive walk-thrus of the sunken vessel- plus a photo opportunity at the bow where Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet stood for the movie!

-- Say goodbye to Hats and the Second City comedy review as they both exit the Strip. The musical comedy Hats at Harrah’s tips its farewell ‘hat’ farewell on July 10 after a scant seven-month run. However, it was seven years for Second City next door at the Flamingo. Luxe Life tipped this cancellelation several weeks ago and said an all-new men’s hunks show might take its place -– and once again we’ve been proved correct. The final laughs fall on Aug. 1.

-- A new “world dance” show titled Raw Talent Live will debut this summer at the Sahara hotel and casino resort and tickets for the 75-minute, high-energy production go on sale this coming Monday. Producer Nicole Durr promises her creation will transport the audience into a virtual world that crosses the line between real and surreal. Illusion technology will be used so the cast and crew of 50 with over 700 costumes can interact with hundreds of the video images as they all ride the emotional rollercoaster looking for the world’s ultimate secret in the “Laptop of Life.” Nicole has worked on the exciting and ambitious project for 18 months and renowned video artist Alex Doss is a collaborator in the state of the art video and audio imaging. She said: “It’s totally unique and will change the way Vegas experiences entertainment.” Knowing Nicole I’m making a solid bet the dancing will be phenomenal- and probably the best on the Strip!

-- Pam and Pierre Omidyar –- the Vegas resident who founded the giant E-Bay online auction company -- celebrated with our hometown Lied Discovery Children's Museum to open its newest exhibit Torn From Home: My Life as a Refugee. Pam not only created the exhibit but sponsored it too so young visitors had an opportunity to gain a firsthand look into the challenging realities faced by refugee children and their families, and yet experience the personal triumphs of rebuilding their lives in a new land. The new exhibit showcases six different areas in the refugee’s life cycle: Home, Losing Home, Registration, Refugee Camp, Medical Clinic and Going Home.

-- Star Surveillance: If you’re in the UFC and unable to fly off to watch the out of town UFC 85 what do you do? Current UFC champions Anderson Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira decided to eat dinner as guests of general manager John Geng at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile and watch it on TV! …. Mindfreak magician Criss Angel took time out from his new Cirque du Soileil Believe show rehearsal schedule to help celebrate Iron Chef winner Kerry Simon’s birthday at his CatHouse restaurant‘s Sweet Tooth party in the Luxor ….. sizzling lingerie model Cora Skinner, who is Hills heartthrob Brody Jenner’s real-life girlfriend hosted a horror- house party at the Torrid nightclub inside Hawaiian Topic Zone with international Playboy playmate DJ. Miss Lisa on the twisting turntables … gorgeous VH1 Sunset Tan actress-host Janelle Perry won a makeover at the Color salon in Caesars Palace with makeup mistress Rain Andreani and color king Michael Boychuck doing double-duty before jet-commuting back and forth to Hollywood for another visit to Paris Hilton’s new MTV reality show … My old Knicks pal, retired NBA star Charles Oakley enjoyed the penne pasta when he dined at Stack Restaurant & Bar in The Mirage … Reality hunk Robert Kardashian Jr, brother of those famous K K K sisters, turned up to party at the Body English nightclub in the Hard Rock hotel casino after a relaxing pool day with actor-musician Jared Leto inside a VIP cabana to escape the summer heat!

TONIGHTS TIP:

Please support our daylong, beloved local Opportunity Village charity on its fundraising telethon: It starts on KTNV Channel 13 at 5 a.m. and runs to 7:30 p.m. In addition Sunny 106.5 FM’s, Melanie & Michael, will be broadcasting live at the Opportunity Village Oakey campus from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. I know three of the gorgeous Fantasy dancers from the Luxor show will take a break from shooting their annual calendar to stop by at 5 p.m. for an hour and that’s eye-popping reason enough! … Country king Dwight Yoakam plays a private concert poolside at the Palms for a home entertainment electronics company party … tattooed drummer Travis Barker brings his set of skins to the LAX nightclub in the Luxor for a dueling session with DJ AM at the twisting turntables … And for something completely different The Art that Defined a Generation with artists Victor Morosco, Wes Wilson, Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelly all attending opens at the Jack Gallery downtown. This is the authentic San Francisco Five who introduced us to The Family Dog posters of such stars as Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company back in rock’s early 1966 days. It’s the first time the collection of remastered images will be shown prior to a worldwide gallery tour.